Deadheading is one of those simple garden tricks that makes a huge difference. I used to think it was just about looks—until I saw how much longer my flowers kept blooming once I got into the habit.
Snipping off those tired blooms tells your plants to keep going, not wrap things up for the season. It’s like giving them a gentle nudge to put on an encore.
Some perennials truly shine with a little help from your pruners, while others will fizzle out fast if you don’t step in. Let’s look at the ones that give the biggest payoff—and what happens if you let them go to seed.
1. Black-Eyed Susans Reward Vigilant Gardeners
These sunny yellow flowers naturally want to spread their seeds everywhere. When you consistently remove the spent blooms, the plant redirects that energy into producing a second spectacular round of flowers in late summer or early fall.
I’ve found that cutting Black-Eyed Susans back by about one-third after the first flowering really kicks them into high gear. The difference between my deadheaded and neglected patches is like night and day.
For best results, don’t just pinch the flower heads—cut stems back to the next leaf node or side shoot. This encourages bushier growth and stronger stems for those bonus blooms that will brighten your garden when other plants are fading.
2. Coreopsis Dances Through Fall With Proper Care
Regular deadheading transforms coreopsis from a brief early summer show to a non-stop performance lasting until frost. The trick is catching the spent blooms before they form seeds, which signals the plant that its reproductive mission is complete.
My border of ‘Moonbeam’ coreopsis used to fade by August until I started deadheading weekly. Now those delicate yellow flowers keep coming well into October, outlasting nearly everything else in my garden.
When deadheading becomes overwhelming due to the sheer number of spent blooms, try shearing the entire plant back by half. This drastic-looking haircut will reward you with fresh foliage and a whole new flush of flowers in just a few weeks.
3. Salvia Extends Its Purple Reign
The tall, elegant spikes of salvia will put on a remarkable second act if you don’t let them rest after their initial flowering. Once those first purple spears start to fade, cutting them back to just above a set of leaves prompts vigorous new growth.
Last summer, I experimented by deadheading only half my salvia patch. By August, the maintained plants were covered in fresh blooms while their neglected neighbors stood barren and woody.
For the most dramatic results, don’t be timid with your pruning—cut salvias back by at least one-third after their first bloom. This seemingly harsh treatment actually rejuvenates the plant, resulting in compact growth and more abundant flowers rather than leggy, sparse stems.
4. Shasta Daisies Double Their Blooming Time
These classic white blooms are marathon runners in the garden when properly maintained. Without intervention, they put on a stunning but brief show in early summer, then call it quits for the season. The secret to extended blooming lies in removing flowers as soon as they start to fade.
Don’t wait until petals have completely withered—snip them when they’re just past their prime to keep the plant in production mode.
For an impressive late-season encore, try cutting your Shasta daisies all the way back after their initial flowering period ends. This ruthless-seeming chop often triggers a complete regeneration, with fresh foliage and new buds appearing within weeks.
5. Delphinium Spires Return For An Autumn Surprise
Many gardeners assume delphiniums are strictly early summer bloomers, but with the right care, these stately towers can make a spectacular comeback. The key is cutting the entire flower stalk down to the basal foliage immediately after the first blooming cycle ends.
My coastal garden’s delphiniums reliably produce smaller but equally colorful second spires in September when neighboring gardens have none. The cooler fall temperatures actually help the colors appear more vivid than summer blooms. Water and fertilize after cutting back to support vigorous regrowth.
While the second showing may not reach the majestic heights of the initial bloom, these bonus flowers arrive when the garden needs color most and often last longer than the early summer display.
6. Blanket Flower Keeps The Color Coming
Gaillardia, commonly called blanket flower, responds dramatically to deadheading with non-stop blooms from June until frost. These cheerful red and yellow flowers naturally want to set seed quickly, but regular intervention keeps them flowering instead.
Follow the stem of each faded flower all the way down to where it meets a leaf or branch before cutting. This encourages the plant to produce new flowering stems rather than just replacing individual blooms on existing stems. During particularly hot stretches,
I’ve found that blanket flowers benefit from a light overall trim in addition to deadheading. Taking off about 25% of the plant’s height in midsummer rejuvenates the foliage and stimulates a fresh burst of colorful blooms just when other perennials are fading.
7. Yarrow Flourishes With Mid-Season Haircuts
The flat-topped flower clusters of yarrow make excellent cut flowers, but they’ll keep producing all season with proper deadheading. Unlike some perennials that need gentle treatment, yarrow benefits from a more aggressive approach.
After the first flush of blooms has faded, cutting the entire plant back by half creates a compact, bushy shape that produces abundant new flowers. I’ve found this harsh-seeming pruning actually prevents the plant from becoming floppy and ensures stronger stems for the second round of blooms.
Don’t worry about being too precise—yarrow forgives even the clumsiest pruning. Just grab handfuls of spent flower stems and cut them back to fresh foliage. This quick, easy maintenance task yields weeks of additional color from an already hard-working perennial.
8. Catmint Creates A Second Wave Of Blue
The soft blue haze of catmint flowers is irresistible to bees and butterflies, but it doesn’t have to be a one-time show. After the initial flowering frenzy fades, these plants often look tired and sparse in the center.
Grabbing your shears and boldly cutting the entire plant back by two-thirds may seem drastic, but this rejuvenation pruning works wonders. Within weeks, fresh foliage emerges, followed by a new round of blue-purple blooms that often outshines the first.
Last summer, I left half my catmint untrimmed as an experiment. By August, the cut-back plants were compact, full of flowers, and buzzing with pollinators, while the unpruned section had sparse blooms on leggy stems and lots of brown, dried foliage in the center.
9. Bee Balm Buzzes With Extended Blooms
The shaggy, colorful heads of bee balm (Monarda) are pollinator magnets, and with strategic deadheading, you can keep the hummingbirds visiting for months. The trick is removing each spent flower head individually as it fades, without cutting back the entire plant at once.
Following each flower stem down to where it meets a set of leaves before snipping encourages side buds to develop. These secondary blooms may be slightly smaller than the main show but are just as vibrant and attractive to garden visitors.
Regular deadheading also improves air circulation around these mildew-prone plants. I’ve noticed my maintained clumps have healthier foliage throughout the season compared to plants where spent flowers were left in place, collecting moisture and blocking airflow.
10. Garden Phlox Performs All Summer Long
The fragrant flower clusters of garden phlox typically peak in midsummer, but they needn’t disappear after that initial display. Removing spent flower heads before seed formation redirects the plant’s energy into producing new blooms rather than seeds.
For best results, cut just below the faded flower cluster, leaving the rest of the stem intact. This precise pruning stimulates dormant buds lower on the stem to develop into new flower heads, extending the show by weeks.
During particularly hot, dry spells, combining deadheading with a deep watering and light feeding gives phlox the boost it needs for continuous flowering. My border phlox now reliably blooms from July through September using this technique, providing crucial color during the traditional August garden slump.
11. Coneflowers Respond To Strategic Cutting
Purple coneflowers (Echinacea) have become garden staples for their drought tolerance and wildlife value. Many gardeners leave the seed heads for birds, but removing at least some spent blooms dramatically extends the flowering period.
Follow the flower stem all the way down to where it branches from the main plant before cutting. This encourages the plant to produce completely new flowering stems rather than just more blooms on existing stems, resulting in a fuller, more floriferous plant.
Consider a compromise approach—deadhead regularly through midsummer for continuous blooms, then allow the final flush of flowers to form seedheads for winter interest and bird feeding. This balanced strategy gives you months of flowers followed by food for feathered visitors.
12. Dianthus Delivers Twice The Fragrance
The spicy-sweet fragrance of dianthus (also called pinks) can perfume your garden twice as long with regular deadheading. These low-growing beauties naturally want to set seed after their spring bloom, but timely intervention changes their plans.
Using small scissors or your fingernails, remove each faded flower right where it meets the stem. The precision matters—cutting too low removes buds that haven’t opened yet, while snipping too high leaves unsightly stubs that can rot in wet weather.
After removing all spent blooms, a light shearing of the entire plant by about one-third often triggers a complete reflowering in late summer or early fall. My border of ‘Firewitch’ dianthus now reliably produces two distinct waves of magenta blooms with this simple maintenance routine.
13. Speedwell Sprints Through Summer
The tall, slender flower spikes of speedwell (Veronica) make excellent vertical accents in the garden, and with deadheading, they’ll keep reaching for the sky all season. The key is removing each flower spike as soon as the bottom third of flowers fade, without waiting for the entire spike to finish.
Cut just below the spent flower spike to the next set of leaves or side branch. This prompt removal prevents seed formation and redirects energy to developing new flower spikes from the base of the plant.
For a truly impressive late-season performance, try cutting back the entire plant by half after the main flowering period. This rejuvenation pruning often results in a compact, bushy plant covered with fresh flower spikes just when the garden needs a color boost.
14. Lavender Doubles Its Aromatic Display
English lavender typically produces its famous fragrant flower spikes in early summer, but prompt deadheading can coax a second, smaller bloom in late summer or fall. The timing of this maintenance is crucial for success.
Wait until the flowers have faded but before seed forms, then shear the entire plant back by about one-third, making sure to remove all spent flower stalks. This seemingly severe pruning actually invigorates the plant and stimulates new growth.
The second flowering is rarely as abundant as the first but offers a welcome burst of color and fragrance when most gardens are winding down. My lavender border now reliably produces fresh blooms in September after years of only June flowering, all thanks to this simple mid-summer haircut.
15. Daylilies Extend Their Daily Show
Despite their name suggesting each bloom lasts just one day, daylily plants can flower for weeks longer with consistent deadheading. Each flower stalk (scape) produces multiple buds that open sequentially, but once all buds have bloomed, the stalk turns brown and unsightly.
Remove entire spent flower stalks at their base rather than just picking off individual faded blooms. This clean removal prevents the plant from wasting energy on seed production and often triggers the formation of new flower scapes, especially in reblooming varieties.
For dramatic results, try cutting the foliage back by half after the main flowering period ends. This rejuvenation often stimulates a fresh flush of leaves followed by bonus blooms, particularly in modern reblooming cultivars like ‘Stella de Oro’ and ‘Happy Returns.’
16. Balloon Flower Pops With New Blooms
The charming balloon-like buds of Platycodon burst open into star-shaped flowers that children and adults alike find fascinating. Without deadheading, this initial display ends by mid-summer, but with regular maintenance, the show continues for months.
Remove each flower as it fades by cutting the stem back to a set of leaves or a side branch. This precise pruning encourages dormant buds to develop into new flowers rather than allowing the plant to form seed pods.
For the most dramatic rebloom, don’t just pinch off the spent flowers—follow the stem down several inches before cutting. My balloon flowers now reliably bloom from June through September using this technique, providing crucial blue color when many other perennials have finished their show.
17. Seed Formation Steals Energy From Future Blooms
When perennials are allowed to form seeds, they’re actually fulfilling their biological mission—reproduction—and have little incentive to keep flowering. Producing seeds requires tremendous energy that could otherwise fuel new growth and additional flowers.
I learned this lesson the hard way with my coreopsis patch. The year I neglected deadheading, flowering stopped completely by July. The plants had redirected all their resources into creating thousands of viable seeds rather than continuing to bloom. Think of deadheading as redirecting your plant’s priorities.
By preventing seed formation, you’re essentially telling the plant, “Try again! Make more flowers!” This simple intervention interrupts the natural life cycle in a way that benefits your garden display.
18. Disease And Pests Target Declining Blooms
Spent flowers aren’t just unsightly—they’re magnets for garden problems. Faded blooms hold moisture after rain or watering, creating the perfect environment for fungal diseases to develop and spread to healthy parts of the plant.
Last summer, I noticed powdery mildew starting on the spent blooms of my garden phlox before spreading to the foliage. The sections I had diligently deadheaded remained relatively disease-free, while neglected areas became seriously infected.
Decaying flower heads also attract certain pests looking for an easy meal. Removing these declining parts through regular deadheading improves air circulation around the remaining foliage and eliminates hiding places for unwanted insects, keeping your perennials healthier throughout the growing season.
19. Self-Seeding Creates Garden Chaos
Many beloved perennials are enthusiastic self-seeders when spent flowers aren’t removed. While this natural reproduction might seem desirable, it often results in overcrowded beds and plants appearing in unwanted locations. My black-eyed Susan patch taught me this lesson dramatically.
After one season of skipped deadheading, I found hundreds of seedlings not just around the original plants but in the lawn, pathway cracks, and even in pots several yards away from the parent plants. Removing spent blooms before they set seed gives you control over your garden’s composition and spacing.
You’ll save countless hours pulling unwanted seedlings and preserve the intentional design of your planting beds simply by deadheading regularly throughout the growing season.
20. Aesthetic Appeal Suffers Without Maintenance
Perhaps the most immediately noticeable consequence of skipping deadheading is the messy appearance of spent blooms. Brown, shriveled flowers hanging on otherwise healthy plants create a neglected look that diminishes your garden’s beauty.
The contrast between maintained and unmaintained sections becomes particularly stark by mid-summer. During a garden tour last August, visitors consistently commented on how “fresh” my deadheaded perennial beds looked compared to other gardens they had visited where spent blooms remained in place.
Regular deadheading creates a garden that looks perpetually in its prime rather than past its peak. This simple maintenance task signals to visitors (and yourself) that the garden is loved and cared for, enhancing the overall aesthetic experience throughout the growing season.